Author Topic: Power Up: Portal 2  (Read 2145 times)

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Offline cannedcream

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Power Up: Portal 2
« on: August 06, 2011, 05:34:15 AM »
THE STORY

Chell, our mute protagonist from the previous game, wakes up to find herself in a holding cell decorated just like any second-rate hotel room. Still trapped within the walls of the Enrichment Center at Aperture Science Laboratories, the young woman must once again navigate her way towards freedom through a collection of sick, dangerous, and mind-bending tests; all in the name of science. This time, however, her adventures will take her further into the underbelly of the Enrichment Center, as the clues of Aperture's rise and fall from grace begins to unravel around her within the decaying facility.



THE GAMEPLAY

Portal 2 is still very much the same game that you'll remember from before and the rules have not changed: get from Point A to Point B without dying; a task which becomes increasingly difficult as you go along. You'll still be pushing buttons, knocking over turrets, and moving weighted cubes, but luckily for returning fans there are a few new tools just waiting to be explored.

The addition of new puzzle pieces such as beam tunnels (tubes that allow you to be pushed or pulled through the air weightlessly), Gels (which can allow you to run faster, jump higher, or place a portal on any covered surface), and light bridges (which are... bridges... of light) really help spice up the gameplay, keeping the levels from growing stale. From start to finish you'll never feel like you're repeating yourself. And every time you think you've seen it all, Valve manages to fine some new twist to throw into your lap.

The downside, however, is that very few of the puzzles are particularly challenging and most players will be able to blow through test after test without so much as two or three attempts. There is still that satisfaction of an 'ah-ha' moment where you figure out what you need to do next, or where you should place that new portal, but it's strange to see a puzzle game be so... un-puzzling.



THE AUDIO/VISUALS

Surprisingly enough there is quite a bit of story in Portal 2, all of which is complemented nicely by fantastic cast which brings the script to life. I found myself laughing out loud throughout the game from lines delivered from all of the three key players you'll be hearing from throughout the campaign. The sound effects are spot on, whether you're listening to the creaking of some long-abandoned walkway, or the blast of a turret gun, everything just sounds right.

The graphics are also very beautiful, with PC gamers getting the best of it with the addition of finer details like fog rising off of water. Still console players will be more than satisfied with their own game. After spending so long in cramped and crowded rooms, the first time you look out into the vastness of the Enrichment Center and see how far it all really goes, it's hard not to stand in awe, or to feel true dread in the pit of your stomach as you're being slowly beamed across some bottomless gap.



THE BOTTOM LINE

Portal 2 for everything it does right, is still just a rental for all but the most dedicated fans. While fun, the linear story railroads you into taking one path and one path only from the start to the end, and this will start to get a little dull after a few plays. While I still HIGHLY suggest you give this game a try, for those of you thinking about a purchase, wait until the price drops. And then YOU can donate your time to this wonderful game. For science. You monster.



THE REPORT

SKIP/RENT/BUY

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10

« Last Edit: August 06, 2011, 09:20:49 AM by cannedcream »
It's summertime, and you know what that means. Gonna head down to the beach, gonna do some beachy things. It's summertime, feels just right. Gonna gather all my friends and we'll party through the night. It's summer time lo-uh-uh-uhvin', lovin' in the summertime.

Offline The Doctor

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Re: Power Up: Portal 2
« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2011, 04:01:24 PM »
Rent?  RENT?!  BAH!  ;)
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Offline RobotNixon

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Re: Power Up: Portal 2
« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2011, 06:40:33 PM »
Yeah, you can't really rent the PC version. :P

Offline cannedcream

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Re: Power Up: Portal 2
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2011, 12:39:40 AM »
True, true, but being a console gamer means I need to cater to what I know. Wish I had a high-end PC to play more games on, though.  :(
It's summertime, and you know what that means. Gonna head down to the beach, gonna do some beachy things. It's summertime, feels just right. Gonna gather all my friends and we'll party through the night. It's summer time lo-uh-uh-uhvin', lovin' in the summertime.

Offline RobotNixon

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Re: Power Up: Portal 2
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2011, 12:59:07 AM »
Portal 2's requirements are actually rather tame. I can run it on medium settings at about 50 FPS and my PC is about seven years old.

Granted I've upgraded the ram and it's got a 2 year old video card.